Oman Wires It's all about Oman
Suraj Shroff, vacation manager at Zahara Holidays, told Muscat Daily that there has been an boost of more than 100 per cent in ticket costs to destinations like Mumbai. “People just want to travel even though prices are high.”
He added that an additional aspect for ticket cost hike is the grounding of Boeing 737 Max planes and discontinuation of Jet Air to Indian destinations from Oman. Demand for vacation packages to destinations such as Turkey and Europe are also high throughout this period.
“The demand for holiday packages has also increased. This is because people want to travel somewhere during the holidays. For now, Turkey is most preferred because people looking for cooler weather. Europe and the US too are in demand,” Shroff mentioned.
Apart from Turkey, Georgia and Thailand as well leading the list of well-known vacation destinations. Flavia D’souza, senior outbound vacation consultant at Mezoon International Travel and Tourism, agreed, that Georgia along with Turkey are most preferred at the moment.
“Since ticket prices to India are very high some people are opting for other destinations. The closure of Jet Airways has affected the Indian travel sector a lot,” she added.
Vijay Ojha, assistant manager, Al Hashar Tourism and Travel, mentioned that although demand for Georgia is high, fares have gone greater on this sector also. So several individuals are enquiring for destinations in the US as well. “Azerbaijan and Thailand too are popular holiday spots thanks to their affordability,” mentioned Ojha.
Demand for staycations are also high, mentioned Ojha. “This is the time when Indian schools close for summer holidays and that is why ticket prices to Indian destinations soar. So many people are looking for inbound and nearby destinations because the number of holidays are less,” he mentioned.
National Travel & Tourism’s deputy vacation manager, Iman al Dosari, mentioned Turkey is well-known amongst Omani travellers this time. “In addition to Turkey, Eastern Europe is also in demand. Demand is still there despite soaring prices,” she mentioned.
Meanwhile, travel agencies have advised individuals to go for travel insurance coverage to meet with any emergency circumstance. “It is always advisable to go for travel insurance to cover any emergency. It just costs between RO10 and RO15 but its benefits are more for a traveller in the wake of an emergency,” Iman mentioned.
Information Source: Muscat Daily
